


Consequences Unforeseen

by TheDarknessFactor



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Cinematic Universe, Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: BvS spoilers, F/M, Gen, Post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Pregnancy, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 18:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6715663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarknessFactor/pseuds/TheDarknessFactor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lois knows that it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.  They’d always been careful, mostly because after only two years together, kids seemed like a bit of a big step.  Already, however, the statistics are running through her head: about that small percentage of the time when birth control doesn’t work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Consequences Unforeseen

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Posting the last of my prompt fills here. This one was: "Post BvS. Lois discovers she is pregnant."
> 
> Just a heads-up: with Civil War being released, I'd like to focus my attention on other things for a little bit (specifically Natasha). So I'm not accepting prompts anymore. Thanks to all who did send me some! I hope you like this fic.

It starts out like any other day.  Well, any other day after Doomsday, that is.

Lois waits until both alarm clocks start to blast in her ears before she bothers getting up to turn them off.  She showers as quickly as possible and is heating up some instant oatmeal in the microwave, glancing at the time to make sure that she’s not running late for work, when she sees the calendar and remembers that it’s Saturday.

With a groan, Lois debates going back to bed.  But the unpleasant curl in her stomach - the one that’s just always _there_ , the one that keeps her from going to sleep before three in the morning - riles against that idea, so Lois wanders her apartment for a few minutes, trying to think of things to do.  

Eventually, the clutter starts to stick out like a sore thumb, and Lois resolves to clear it up before doing anything else.  No one ever comments on how much messier it is now that Clark is… gone, but suddenly she feels oddly guilty for neglecting it.  It still feels like it’s _their_ space, not just hers.

She starts with the bedroom and works her way through each room, creating a haphazard pile on the floor of each room (to be thrown out later).  She finds some food wrappers, discarded shampoo bottles, a couple of empty bottles of laundry detergent.  Various items that she just forgets to dispose of.  Lois has been throwing herself into her work to distract herself from her grief, and in turn, her work has been distracting her from her lifestyle.

Not that she was ever really all that neat, but even pre-Clark Lois had standards.

She’s just finishing up in the bathroom, going through the cupboard under the sink, when her box of pads catches her eye.  Lois frowns, mentally tallying up the days until her next period, and pauses in her movements when she realizes that it should’ve happened ten days ago.

_Ten days._

Okay.

Lois knows that it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.  They’d always been careful, mostly because after only two years together, kids seemed like a bit of a big step.  Already, however, the statistics are running through her head: about that small percentage of the time when birth control doesn’t work.  

Still - it could mean nothing.  Her body’s under stress.  That can delay it.

It doesn’t stop her from going to the drugstore and buying some tests, though.

* * *

“You’re very lucky, Ms. Lane,” the doctor says to her.  “From what you’ve told me thus far - and considering you’re almost a month along now - your pregnancy has been smooth sailing.  Not even any morning sickness.”

“Yeah,” Lois replies, smiling a smile she doesn’t feel.  “Lucky.”

* * *

What is she supposed to do?  How is she supposed to explain it?

Sure, the baby _seems_ to be developing normally right now, but who knows if that’ll change?  She can’t exactly tell her doctor that the baby is half-Kryptonian, because Lois is 99 percent sure that that would bring scientists and government officials down on her - people who wouldn’t give a second thought before taking her child away from her.

The thought always makes Lois’ mouth go dry.  It also seems to give her the morning sickness that’s been curiously absent from her pregnancy.

So, she does the first thing that comes to mind - which is _not_ to call Martha, because she doesn’t want to think about the possibility of her cell phone being monitored.  Instead, she drives out to the Kent farm herself.

Martha takes one look at her, and she just seems to _know_.  Clark’s mom is a psychic.

“How far along are you?” she asks, once they’re inside.  Evidently years of raising Clark have made Martha as paranoid as Lois now feels.

“About a month.”

Martha nods slowly, digesting this information.  It takes all of Lois’ self-control not to wring her hands.  

“Okay,” Martha breathes out.  “Okay.  You’re going to come visit me every weekend from now on.  As soon as you go on maternity leave, I expect you to move here.  Have you been following the doctor’s instructions?”

Lois nods, suddenly feeling like a child again.  She doesn’t bother arguing.

Martha takes both of Lois’ hands in her own, looking her straight in the eyes.  “Listen to me, Lois.  We’re going to keep this baby safe.  We’re going to make sure that he or she grows up loved.   _They_ aren’t going to get your baby.”

Lois wraps Martha in a hug, and hopes beyond hope that she’s right.

* * *

She can’t just… not work, though.  Even now.   _Especially_ now - she has even more incentive to bury LexCorp before it has a chance to rise again.  She exposes more and more black market deals, and more attempts at manipulating world politics that resulted in the deaths of innocents.  People start to recognize her.  People start to look afraid of her.

Most of the time, when Lois interviews someone, their hand is sweaty when she shakes it.

And all the while, she follows the doctor’s instructions to the letter.  She eats what she’s supposed to when she’s supposed to.  She forces herself to go to bed at regular times, even if sleep is still hard to come by.  She exercises lightly.  She starts visiting the grief counselor again.  

“I think it’s good that you’re taking care of yourself again,” the counselor tells her.  “I’m just worried that it’s only for the baby’s sake.”

Lois doesn’t reply to that.

Eventually, she caves in and calls Diana and then Bruce, informing them both of the news (they gave her their numbers in case of emergencies).  Diana offers her congratulations and condolences in the same sentence.  Bruce goes silent for a full three minutes before he starts asking questions about different ways of protecting the baby, to ensure that it has as normal of a childhood as possible.

It helps, a little, to know that she’s got them both looking out for her.

* * *

Things get better, after she moves in with Martha.  

For one thing, the house lacks the empty feeling of the apartment.  Martha’s almost always around, and then there’s Hank - who likes to come and sprawl on Lois’ lap with his tongue hanging out.  Lois has never been a huge fan of dogs, but she can’t help but laugh and pat his belly when he does it.

She does what she can to help out on the farm, when Martha needs it.  Her maternity leave is, thankfully, paid, so she makes grocery runs as well.  Smallville is a tiny town, and everyone is curious about the pregnant woman staying at the Kent farm, but thankfully people are considerate enough not to question her about it.

Diana and Bruce stop by on occasion.  Diana is all charm and smiles when she does, always saying that she only does it so that she has an excuse to try Martha’s cooking, but then there are the small moments when she squeezes Lois’ hand, and wraps an arm around her shoulders, and quietly lets her know that Lois can talk to her if she needs to.

It makes Lois curious - how someone with such a big heart felt the need to shut people out for so long.  But that’s a story she’ll let Diana tell, when she’s comfortable sharing it.

Bruce, on the other hand, is constantly making plans for the baby.  He’s already tried to set up a trust fund for the kid, which Lois vehemently declined (though he probably made one anyway).  He also drills her with contingency plans on what to do if government officials or… less savory groups _do_ ever come for her baby.

And, every so often, she’ll catch him looking at her bump with a soft smile, and think to herself, _He’s a father, he has to be_.

There is one evening when both of them are visiting, and she, Martha, Diana, and Bruce are all seated around the dining room table, enjoying dinner.  Diana finishes eating before any of the rest of them do (Lois swears that she eats _more_ than Clark), and asks, “Have you given any thought to a name, Lois?”

Lois hasn’t.  She’s been putting off the decision of a name.  She knows that it’s only because Clark isn’t there to decide with her, but she clears her throat and says, “Not yet.  I was hoping to pick one after I find out the gender.”

Which she intends to do, soon.  The doctor has told her that that will be possible within the next few appointments she has.

“Well, no point in rushing you into a decision,” Martha says, and Lois shoots her a grateful glance.

“The sooner you figure out a name, the sooner I’ll be able to forge visits to the doctor,” Bruce says.  It takes Lois a minute to realize that he’s being completely serious.  

At her incredulous look, he shrugs.  “Do you think they’re going to be able to give them shots?”

Invulnerability.  Right.

This is one of those moments when the enormity of it all starts to crash onto Lois’ shoulders.  She resists the urge to put her face in her hands as a lump begins to form in her throat because _oh god_ , there’s so much for her to watch out for, how is she supposed to do this alone - ?

She doesn’t realize that she’s said that out loud until Diana is at her side, with one hand on her arm.

“Lois,” she says sternly.  “You are _not_ alone.  Alright?”

Lois forces herself to nod.  She’s not alone.  She’s not.

And, looking around at the three concerned but compassionate faces, she thinks that maybe she’s finally starting to believe it.

* * *

Lois is distantly aware that she’s turned into an unbearable grump, now that she’s nearing the end of the third trimester.  By some miracle, the baby is human enough that the pregnancy’s length is the same as an Earth pregnancy, and everything is _still_ going smoothly.  No health complications.  Not even too much misery on her part (although the barely-being-able-to-move bit is really getting to her).  

Her due date grows nearer every day, and Lois is starting to feel nervous.  Bruce, being Bruce, has arranged for her to go to a private clinic of his choice for the birth - one that he promises won’t ask questions.  Lois is a little bit on edge about that, but she decides that she trusts him.

She is constantly waiting, thinking about all the scenarios she’s read about - when the baby comes early, and the mother has to be rushed to the hospital.  To her surprise, however, she goes to the clinic on the due date, and it’s on the due date that her water breaks.

Even this part of the pregnancy goes without a hitch, and after three hours of feeling like she’s running a god damn marathon, Lois has a baby in her arms.   _Her_ baby.  Her baby girl, who is quiet now that she’s sleeping - though she certainly wasn’t when she came squalling into the world.

“Hi,” Lois whispers to her, finally able to speak after being speechless for almost an hour.  “Hi there…”

She trails off, looking up at the woman in the doorway.  There’s really only one logical choice - because the woman in the doorway has taken care of her for the last few months, has put up with her mood swings, and the woman in the doorway will love this child just as much as Lois does.  

“Martha,” she says.  “Martha, come say hello to Martha.”

And Martha, with tears in her eyes, does just that.


End file.
